I-5 weekend lane closures expected to cause delays

Share this story

SEATTLE - "Hopping" through Seattle could be tough this Easter weekend on Interstate 5.

Construction crews will close most northbound lanes into the city. That, together with holiday travel, means delays on northbound I-5 from Southcenter to Seattle are estimated to be up to 45 minutes this weekend.

Workers will be replacing noisy old expansion joints that create a peculiar thumping noise under your tires as you head into Seattle.

Northbound I-5 will be narrowed from five lanes to two lanes all the way from Albro Place to nearly Interstate 90. The work starts at 8 p.m. Friday.

"These joints are really old. They're 50 years old, they've taken a beating from traffic for years, and we really need to get this replaced - it's kind of a safety issue," says Bart Treece of the state Department of Transportation. "We don't want these things popping up in the middle of traffic."

A company that tracks cars in real time on smartphones is estimating the worst time for backups will be Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with delays of up to 45 minutes.